{"id":4567,"date":"2025-04-19T00:55:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-19T04:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/spire\/?p=4567"},"modified":"2025-04-22T01:36:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T05:36:14","slug":"hunter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/spire\/2025\/04\/19\/hunter\/","title":{"rendered":"Bean Girl"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Madeline Hunter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m from Australia, so the drastic changes of the Maine seasons is completely foreign and absolutely enthralling to me. I am studying organic dry beans for my thesis project and last year I spent a lot of time out in the field watching the seasonal progressions of my cropping system in exquisite detail. Each of these paintings aims to capture the essence of a particular stage in that cycle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cycle begins with the establishment of winter rye, which is planted in fall, before the Canada geese have flown away. The cheeky geese liked to sit outside the fence and stare dreamily at the fledgling rye plants. The rye remains and stabilizes the soil throughout winter. Soon it starts to warm, the rye grows and begins to tower above you. Little passerine birds have returned with the heat and spend their days playing chasey in the grass. Painting one represents this long period of rye growth, from the slow, cold growth of fall and winter to the rapid explosion of growth in early spring. <\/p>\n\n\n